The Art Of Living
by mister-eva
Summary: So what happens when Ikuto saves a suicidal girl named Amu, who threw herself off the balcony, on the floor above his apartment? He becomes completely motivated to show her what it really means to live, that's what. AMUTO.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: ****So what happens when Ikuto saves a suicidal girl named Amu, who threw herself off the balcony, on the floor above his apartment? He becomes completely motivated to show her what it really means to live, that's what. AMUTO.**  
><strong><br>Hi everyone, I'm back! This is the first story I have done in a while, I will be working on it and I'm completely motivated to finish this one. Enjoy, read and review!**

**The Art Of Living – Chapter One (Ikuto's P.O.V)**

I fumbled with the keys in my hand, looking for the one that would open the darned door in front of me. The stupid apartment key just _had to _be similar to most of my other keys, of course it was. The damn landlord hated me the minute I said I needed a place to live and gave me the worst apartment room of all, the one with the old key and old lock. He often gave me dirty looks when I went to pay the rent. _At least I'm decent enough to pay on time, _I mentally scoffed.

Recognizing the rusty feel of the right key, I pushed it into the lock and turned. With a satisfying _click_, the door was unlocked. The hinges of the door squeaked and I made my way inside, dropping my belongings upon the old, worn out couch. There was an already opened beer sitting on the kitchen bench from this morning and I grabbed it and drank, letting the refreshing taste slide down my throat and into my stomach.

"Ah," I sighed out loud, "nothing better than a beer after a hard day."

No one replied, and that was how it always was. Always silent, with a single voice echoing throughout the house. I lived alone, after my parents died and after my sister left for a singing career. I had no one; I kind of liked it that way.

I brushed a few strands of dark blue hair out of my face and wiped the sweat on my head with the back of my hand. It was unusually hot today, and that wasn't helping the fact that my school did not have shorts for boys to wear; only girls. For the boys, it was only pants, a button up shirt and a tie that suffocated the majority of us.

I ripped off my shirt, proudly smirked at how toned my body was for a split second, then walked to the balcony bare chested, a gust of hot air blowing into me. I took another gulp of the beer and leaned over the edge. I could hear the buzz of the busy streets below, the honking of the cars, the chirp of the birds… And the arguments of the floor above me, which didn't really fit in with the usual surroundings. The floor above me never made a sound at all. Curious, I stuck my head out a bit and tried to see what was happening up there. The potted plants were blocking my view, but I still had the ears to listen.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" One gruff voice yelled.

"None of your damn business," replied a feminine voice, who didn't sound very interested at all.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"You heard me. I said, _none of your damn business._ Get out of my room."

"Stupid b*tch, you don't deserve to be my daughter. I'll let you rot and die in here, alone. I'll let you kill yourself in here, like you always do. Bleed yourself dry, or you know what? Go jump off right now. You're sick of life? I'm sick of you. Go, jump!"

"Sure," was all the girl said. There was a moment of silence, and I wondered what had happened. Did one of them leave? Kill the other?

A pair of slender, pale legs were suddenly dangling above me, the red heels on the person's feet falling off and hitting the pavement with a soft thud. It was a long way down from where I was and those heels must've been made of metal to not break.

Then, she jumped.

There was a blur of colors before my eyes, and panic shot through me like a bullet. My heart stopped, and it was like I had no control of myself. My body reacted on its own, arms outstretched and reaching for the figure. I thought she would've slipped through my fingers, but I caught a thin wrist and held on. I had almost flung over my own balcony, but I steadied myself and reached for the other wrist of the hanging girl. I didn't look at her or even think about anything but to save her. I pulled her limp body over the ledge, lost my balance and fell. She landed on top of me, head on my chest and we just stayed perfectly still in our positions. I was still holding her wrists, and I thought to let go, but I didn't. Her hair was an odd, bubblegum pink that stuck out anywhere like a sore thumb – but I wasn't one to say anything about odd colored hair – and she had a petite, slim and fragile body that could shatter so easily. She didn't move an inch and didn't even breathe. Was she even alive?

And then, as if to answer the question, her head lifted and her facial features were revealed to me. Her cheeks were pink and her lips were slightly parted, strands of pink hair falling over her face. She stared at me with her beautiful, round, yellow eyes under her long eyelashes that made my breath hitch in my throat.

She opened her mouth a little wider like she was going to say something, then she fainted in my arms. Okay, I had _definitely _not seen this coming. I had not expected her to faint on me, _hell; _I didn't even expect her to jump off the balcony. Her small head was positioned the way it was before, resting on my chest. Her mouth was a little open, and she looked adorable while she slept. I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head. This wasn't a time to think about how cute she looked when she slept, or the way she had a model type body or how sexy her legs were…

_Stop being a pervert, _my mind scolded. I mentally slapped myself reminded myself of the situation. This poor girl had just been forced to jump and die, and the man above was probably still waiting to see her body hit the ground. I began to move away, dragging her unconscious body along with me until we were in my living room and what I thought was out of the man's sight. The girl breathed heavily, even in sleep, and I watched her chest go up and down, up and down. I slapped myself again.

_Pervert, _mocked my mind.

"Shut up," I growled out loud, and then it was quiet in my head. Sighing, I looked at the girl sleeping in my lap and I felt like a creep for staring. I couldn't help but think how beautiful she was, and stroked her soft, silky hair.

_You're a creep, _my mind teased. _Ikuto's a creep._

I pushed away the annoying voice. Her mouth was slightly parted, lips full, pink and just begging to be kissed. I hesitated, what if she woke up?

_Stop being a creep, creep. You're taking advantage of a passed out girl, you creep. How could you even do that to her? You're creepy, creep._

I grit my teeth and pushed away the voice again. Sometimes, I felt crazy for pushing away what I really thought but I knew the real crazy thing was thinking the voice wasn't from my own mind.

_It's only a quick one, she won't even notice. What she doesn't know won't kill her, _I convinced myself. It's not like we'd ever talk again after this, or even see each other. I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity. Of course I'd see her again; we live in the same flat for crying out loud!

I lowered my head and hesitated again. I took a glance towards her still closed eyes and reassured myself that she was still passed out. Her lips were just millimeters away, so close and-

"What are you doing?"

**Okay, so it's a little short and not that good. I'll write longer chapters after this one; this is only the first chapter. Fingers crossed that it'll go well though, tell me what you think of the story so far, and tell me if you think I should add or change anything!  
>Thanks for reading!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:****So what happens when Ikuto saves a suicidal girl named Amu, who threw herself off the balcony, on the floor above his apartment? He becomes completely motivated to show her what it really means to live, that's what. AMUTO.**

**Hi again, and thank you everyone who reviewed the first chapter! Here's the second chapter; enjoy, read and review! **

**The Art Of Living – Chapter Two (Ikuto's P.O.V)**

_Well, this is just a little awkward._

Here I am, lips barely five millimeters away from another pair of lips belonging to a girl I thought was unconscious. I thought wrong.  
>From her position with her head on my lap, eyes full of confusion, she stared up at me. Her eyebrow was raised and her face certainly did <em>not <em>look impressed. Of course; she had just woken up to some weird guy about to kiss her while she was out cold.

_I told you so_, my mind laughed.

"I uh, I…" I couldn't say anything. How could I come up with an explanation for this sort of thing? She probably thinks I'm some sort of a molester, who just kidnapped her or something. She doesn't even know my name! I don't even know hers!

_Good job Ikuto, here's to a failure of a first impression. _I mentally groaned.

"Well?"

I cleared my throat and attempted to quiet the sarcastic mind I had. I stared back at her, but I had a feeling I would look away soon. Her stare had turned into a glare and it was cutting into me. If looks could kill, this girl would've been a mass murderer.

"You… Uh, you tried to kill yourself back there. By throwing yourself off a balcony."

"I'm aware of my actions," she deadpanned. Then, an excuse came to mind and I had to worship myself for being so smart.

"I saved you. And you weren't breathing, so I was going to do mouth to mouth to help you breathe again," I said coolly. She didn't answer, but got her head off my lap and stood up.

"Thanks, but I didn't need your help. I was perfectly content with dying and you ruined my plan by catching me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with death." Her voice was ice cold, her face not showing any signs of emotion. I couldn't let her do it again; I _wouldn't _let her try to kill herself again. I chased after her as she went to open the door, and grabbed her wrist. Her pink hair swished as she spun around. The girl looked down at the way my hand was tightly wrapped around her wrist, and then back up at me. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to shake me off.

"Let go of me," she seethed. I kept my hold on her firm and pulled her closer to me, farer away from the door.

"No, I won't just watch you be stupid, and try to kill yourself again," I growled, gritting my teeth.

"You can't tell me what to do; I could have you sued for assault!" Using her other hand, she tried to pry my hand off. I held her other wrist with my free hand and pinned her against the wall.

"And I could have you sued for attempted suicide, so you aren't the one to say anything about an arrest."

She stayed quiet, but continued her efforts to wriggle free. She avoided my gaze, sighed and looked off to her left. I followed her gaze and realised she was eying the kitchen knife. She winced when I gripped her wrists tighter, drawing her attention back to me.

"Don't even think about it."

"I don't even know you, let go of me!" She lifted her knee, and hit me right between legs. The pain was excruciating, but I couldn't let go of her. God knows what she'd do to herself if I let her run off. Groaning, I pushed her against the wall again and used my legs to keep hers still. She began to scream, and for a girl that was cold as ice; she had a hell of a scream. I covered her mouth with my hand, using my elbow to keep her free wrist pinned down.

"Mmm mmm mm mmm!" Her screams were muffled by my hand, so I didn't have a single clue what she was even saying. She bit down, hard. I still didn't let go, but this girl was a damn pain in the neck. Or hand. From what I could make out of her blabber, she sounded like she said; "For a thin looking guy like you, you sure are persistent and you sure can tolerate a lot of crap."

"In a situation where I'm saving a pretty damsel from killing herself, you could say that."

"I was saving myself from misery," she seemed to say, calmed down from her screaming before.

"And leaving me with a hell lot of guilt if I saw you jump and didn't do anything," I retorted. She made a face, and slightly slumped against the wall.

"Let me go, it's not like I can fight you or anything, after what you just did to me back there," she sighed. I gave her a suspicious look, and raised an eyebrow. She gave me a reassuring smile that looked _beyond_ cute.

"You can trust me."

I hesitantly released her, keeping my hands in front of me and her as if to say, _stay_. She didn't move an inch from her position near the wall and just looked at her feet. Maybe this girl was actually nice on the inside, had good intentions and maybe she could be trustworthy enough not to hurt herself again.

_Not. _

With a flick of her wrist, she socked me in the nose and sent me flying to the ground. There was a sticky, red substance all over my hands, and I realised it was the blood from the impact.

"That's what you get!" She spat, kicking me in the stomach as she turned to leave.

I swore and watched her bolt out the door, only to be caught by a big looking man who held her in place. He slapped her across the face and it must've been pretty hard, because I could hear the sound of the slap ricocheted against the walls and echoed throughout the flat. He murmured something to her and she tried to back away from him, earning herself another slap. She didn't stop trying to escape, the same stubbornness she had towards me, but he was so much stronger than she was, and less gullible than I was. The man dragged her up the stairs and then, nothing. I didn't hear anything from the floor above after that.

I had my next encounter with her the next afternoon, a day I didn't have school.

When she tried to shut the elevator doors in my face.

"Hey you, hey! Wait! Don't shut the doors!" I yelled, running for the elevator the girl just walked into. She gritted her teeth as she repetitively pressed on the button to close the doors, an irritated look on her face. There was a little scar on left cheek, probably from the man who hit her, I reasoned.

I grabbed the closing doors and pried them open, watching the irritated expression on her face grow to a whole new stage of _pissed off_. She gave a sickeningly sweet smile, a smile her eyes didn't agree with, and stared at the band aid across my nose. I pointed to it and glared at her.

"See this? Yeah, you did this to me yesterday. Thanks for almost breaking my nose."

She didn't say anything but had a smug smile plastered across her face, like she was proud of what she did. And she damn was. I scoffed at her proud look and went to push the button for the ground floor. The doors came to a close, and I felt the elevator begin to go down.

Then it shook. Once. Twice.

And the lights went out.

**So this one is a little shorter than the first, and is mostly dialogue, apologies for that. I like this whole, ending it with a cliffy ending, so I think I'll stick to that. Again, fingers crossed it'll go well! Tell me what you think, what I should change, or even if you like it or not.  
>Thanks for reading!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: So what happens when Ikuto saves a suicidal girl named Amu, who threw herself off the balcony, on the floor above his apartment? He becomes completely motivated to show her what it really means to live, that's what. AMUTO.**

**Hello people! Thank you to those who reviewed the second chapter, here's the third chapter that you all have been expecting; enjoy, read and review!**

**The Art Of Living – Chapter Three (Ikuto's P.O.V)**

It was completely pitch black and I couldn't see a damn thing. I felt around my back pockets for my phone to use as a light source, when something hit me across the face. Or rather, _someone._

"Ow, what the hell was that for!" I yelled, clutching my cheek where it throbbed. I unlocked my phone and watched the device come to life. My screen brightened up the elevator, showing me her unchanged expression from before. She had a somewhat uninterested face as she shrugged and crossed her arms. Anger bubbled inside me, and I had to ball up my fist to refrain from taking it out on her. I was raised to respect ladies and they never gave me any reason not to. But _this _girl? She was practically asking for a hit to the head.

"Don't shrug at me missy, why the hell did you punch me across the face?"

"Cause I felt like it."

She was _really _getting on my nerves now. She was everything that she could get hit for; rude, disrespectful, unladylike, and did I mention she was being a downright b*tch? I have never, ever insulted a girl like that, and I never planned to, but _honestly_. With a personality like that, she must've been insulted way worse than that.

"You don't just punch people because you _felt like it_; that is what gets modern teen girls killed and raped."

"Good," was all she said, and her short replies were ticking me off.

"What, you want to be raped and killed?"

"Yep." Her reply was dripping with sarcasm, but I had a feeling she wasn't lying about wanting to be killed.

"Surprised to see you're still alive after escaping me yesterday."

"Me too."

Then, no one talked. It was completely silent and regardless of my liking for silence, it was awkward and irritating me. I held my phone up to see if I could get any service, but no such luck. The girl was leaning against the wall, arms still crossed and eyes cast downwards. I sighed, and attempted calling for help.

"Hello? Is anyone there? We're stuck, help!"

To my dismay, no one replied. I was stuck in an elevator with no service, a phone and a girl that hated my guts. _This is just brilliant_.

I caught her taking peeks at me often, but she acted like she never did it. I was hot, and we both knew it. She was just too stubborn to admit she thought I was. I sighed and checked the time. My phone read, _4:17PM_; it had already been almost an hour. She glanced at my phone too, then nodded to herself like she was acknowledging the fact she would never make it out of the elevator alive. Oh, the stupidity of that thought.

I took the time to study her features as she was looking away. Her bright pink hair was somewhat… _cute_, in a way. Her hair was mid-length, and was messy but somehow perfect that way. She had the longest eyelashes I had ever seen on anyone, and her golden eyes were captivating. She was quite pale, like she had not been out in the sunlight for a long time, and then I saw _them_.

Embedded in her skin all down her arms, all over her wrists, were the faintest of scars. They were barely there, but at the same time, hard to not notice. They looked like they had been stitched together many times, and some were recent, unattended to. She noticed me staring, and pulled the sleeves of her jumper lower. I walked closer to her and pushed her sleeves higher, in spite of her refusals. I felt over them, a weight on my heart getting heavier with every scar I passed.

I could feel her pulse as I held her wrist, and felt the corners of my mouth twitching upwards when I felt that her heart was beating at a high speed. She tugged her wrists away and hid them behind her back.

"Why?" I muttered. She only avoided my gaze and slumped to the floor. I sat down beside her and just lightly touched her chin, making her look at me. I tried to look sincere as I smiled.

"Hey, you can trust me."

She gave me a look that clearly said she didn't have any trust or faith in me. Maybe my smile turned out to be a grimace. I tried it again.

"I'm… sorry, about how I was before. I mean, you can't blame me when I'm the one who got punched in the face here," I joked, but it didn't brighten the mood. She sighed, and twiddled her fingers, resembling a little girl who got told off in school.

"I'm sorry too."

I took a moment to let the fact sink in that the girl that had socked me in the nose, kneed me in the balls, bit my hand and punched me in the face was apologizing. I pushed down the urge to brag about it. There was a minute of silence, and then she looked up at me.

"Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"I won't."

"If you do, I'll slice your balls off while you're sleeping," she threatened, giving me a serious look. I gulped, and nodded. I actually believed that she had the guts to do it and I wasn't taking any chances that she wasn't.

"It all started when I was around, thirteen I think. I'm sixteen now and oh, by the way, names Hinamori Amu." _What a beautiful name_, I thought.

"Tsukiyomi Ikuto, seventeen."

"Yeah, anyways, it was a really hard time for my family; we were flat broke and we didn't have much to eat on our plates most nights. My mother didn't work, my dad wasn't getting much pay and we were about to lose our house. My little sister had a disease that needed to be cured, but we couldn't afford it. To save her, we left her outside a rich family's house and I don't know what happened to her. Don't know if they took her in, or left her to die. Never heard about, or from her since," she paused and took a deep breath as she tried to think back.

"Then, one day, when we thought nothing could possibly be worse, dad and I found out mum was dead. It was too much to take in, and it was much worse for dad. He broke everything we had in the house, and didn't stop drinking. He got so drunk to the point where he abused me and didn't even recognize me as his own daughter. Each night, he hit me and yelled at me like I was his punching bag. That's when I began to cut."

I could see her jaw tighten as she spoke, the way she gripped onto air like it was going to leave her at any minute. The memories were still affecting her, but she tried not to let the emotions slip.

"It had been… a few months after that I think, and out of nowhere, he got a job offer. It was to work as a business man for the higher companies, and that was when we started getting the money we needed. He sent me to live in the flat I – we – currently live in, and only came back to eat. It's been more than three years since mum died, and he's gotten over it, but he still hits me. That's the other thing he comes home to do; to abuse me for fun." She laughed bitterly and her knuckles were beginning to go white.

I clenched my fist and held back the desire to rant about how much of a bastard her dad was. How could anyone be so cruel to their own daughter?

"I was going to jump off the other day and I thought that would be my way out of my pathetic life… then, you reached out and caught me." Amu gave a small smile, and I scratched my head sort of apologetically.

"Well, I can't just let you jump off and kill yourself; that would leave me with something I would never forget."

"Stubborn, aren't you?"

"In a situation where I'm saving a pretty damsel from killing herself, you could say that," I said, repeating what I said yesterday. There was the lightest tint of pink on her cheeks, and she looked _so _adorable. I reached out and touched her hand, feeling her stiffen when I did.

"Here's the proposal," I began. She raised an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes.

"Let me rephrase that, here's the _deal_," I emphasized. She laughed, and her laugh was like a wind chime, it made me warm inside. I was seeing the side of her I had never seen before, a side most people might've not seen for a while and I liked it.

"If you stop hurting yourself, I'll take you out every weekend and we'll have _fun,_" I winked. The tint of pink on her cheeks began to cover her whole cheeks, like a contagious disease. I grinned, and got closer to her.

"Thinking dirty now, _Amu?_" She looked like a complete tomato, and it was amusing to see her so flustered. She tried to back away, but she was already against the wall.

"No! You're the one with the perverted meanings in your sentence!"

"How do you know it had a perverted meaning if you're not thinking dirty?" And just when I thought she couldn't get any redder, she turned another shade of red.

"I-I-I…" She stuttered, and I couldn't contain my laughter. "Shut up pervert!"

"But really, if you promise me you'll stop cutting, I'll promise that I'll show you what it really means to live, and you'll enjoy every minute, guaranteed." She made a face like she was thinking it over, which took only a few seconds.

"Will you really?"

"Only if you promise you'll stop hurting yourself," I reassured.

"You first."

"I promise that I'll take you out every weekend and make you have the time of your life, if you promise to stop cutting," I dramatically announced, drawing a cross over my heart. Amu laughed, and I could feel my heart lifting. It was a feeling I hadn't had for a long time, and it felt good to have it back.

"I promise."

**Awww, amuto fluffiness :3**

**And yes, Ikuto and Amu are only a year apart in this story.**

**Anyways, this chapter was about three hundred words longer than my first two, good improvement! Tell me what you think!  
>Thanks for reading!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary:****So what happens when Ikuto saves a suicidal girl named Amu, who threw herself off the balcony, on the floor above his apartment? He becomes completely motivated to show her what it really means to live, that's what. AMUTO.**

**Hi readers, thank you to those who reviewed! Sorry about the long wait, I was on a huge writers block. So, I decided to write differently to see if it would be easier. Hence, the change of point of views!  
>Here's the fourth chapter; enjoy, read and review!<strong>

**Ps. the bold italics are Amu's replies to her conscience. **

**The Art Of Living – Chapter Four (Amu's P.O.V)**

The light was brighter than I expected when they finally got the elevator working again. It blinded me and made me squeeze my eyelids shut for a short second. When I opened them, I felt my heart skip a beat. Ikuto, too, was wincing at the brightness and this was the first time I found him so… sexy.

_What on earth are you thinking Amu? You can't trust guys, they're all ruthless heartbreakers. _

_**But, Ikuto's different. **_

_No he's not. He's just like every other man, he's going to break your heart and step on it and beat you up the way your father did. _

I clenched my fist at the mention of my father and mentally shoved away my conscience. After all these years, I had been listening to it and believing every word. It told me, all men will leave you heartbroken, but Ikuto proved that wrong. I could trust him, and he made me feel the happiest I've felt in so long. Ikuto was different.

I felt something tap my shoulder as I walked, and I turned around to see Ikuto, eyes full of concern.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked, and I gave him a smile of reassurance. It was nice to know he cared about me.

"Yeah, just things on my mind."

"Oh okay. Perverted things on your mind?" He teased, backing away from me as if I was going to hit him for the comment. And he was lucky he moved or else I would've. Instead, I felt my cheeks heating up and I wondered how stupid I must've looked.

"N-no!" I stammered. "You're the pervert!"

He only gave me a look that clearly said he didn't believe me, along with his signature smirk I saw for the first time earlier. I found his smirk super attractive and super hot, but I would never admit that to him. Not even in death. Never. That would be the last of my dignity if I did, and I don't plan on losing my dignity any time soon.

It was only until we walked out of the flat that I realised I was actually out of the flat, if that makes sense. Ikuto was still silently walking beside me, hands in his pockets. I thought back to a long time ago, when I was asked what my type of guy was. I answered, he had to be tall, muscular, caring, funny, lovable, and he had to be different from everyone else. Ikuto fit that description almost perfectly; he was tall, don't know about muscular (hopefully!), caring, funny (in a perverted way), not sure about loveable, but he was definitely different. He treated me the way I wanted to be treated, and made me feel like I meant something to someone, unlike my father and the boys I had previously fallen for. Also, he had blue hair. Who the hell else has blue hair like him?

"Where are we going?" I wondered out loud. Ikuto stopped in his tracks and looked around. I guess he didn't know where we were headed to either.

"We can go wherever you want to go, unless you want to go with my idea which is going to a couple's hotel to have some rough-"

I cut him off by covering my ears and yelling out nonsense. It was the way I always avoided topics I never wanted to talk about, no matter how old I was. And _this _topic was certainly not the topic I wanted to talk about. I couldn't hear what he said afterwards, but I saw him laughing at my reaction. I was curious as to what his laugh sounded like, but I did not want to hear the end of his perverted sentence. I slowly put down my hands when I saw him stifling his laughter.

"-sex," he ended. Then, he burst out laughing again, holding his sides.

My cheeks felt as though they were on fire, after hearing the word I wasn't used to hearing. It was a word I thought was disgusting as a child, and even now it was still disgusting. The very thought of it made my stomach turn and cheeks go hotter. It was truly, a grotesque image.

"That's disgusting!"

"That's disgusting!" He mocked in a falsetto voice that was supposed to sound like me, I deducted. He was still laughing and his laugh made me have butterflies, but to keep laughing about his failure of my voice was annoying. I stuck my tongue out at him immaturely, and turned back to the flat. I was _not _going to go anywhere with someone who was more immature than me.

As I took the first step, I felt two arms wrap around my waist. I lifted my head and almost hit Ikuto's chin because of the way he was looking down at me. His eyes were serious, and I thought they were incredibly breath-taking. His eyes were endless depths of a sparkling blue, filled with an emotion I couldn't work out.

"I'm sorry about the teasing and the laughing. I just find it cute when you blush," he admitted softly. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest but was temporarily abusing my chest rapidly. He thought I was cute when I thought I was at my stupidest! I bit my cheek to see if this was all just a wonderful dream, but it was reality.

When I didn't say anything, he rested his head on my forehead and sighed. I was surprised my face didn't burn off his, with the way I felt my cheeks felt like lava. For once, I felt happy to be embarrassed like this. Ikuto thought my idiocy was cute.

"I'm really, really, _really_ sorry Amu. Forgive me please," he whined babyishly. I puffed my cheeks, refusing to forgive him. Despite how adorable he sounded, I wasn't going to forgive him so easily. Sorry was a word that got to anyone easily, and I wouldn't be one of those people.

"Come on cutie."

"No."

"Sexy."

"No."

"You know you want to, baby."

"No."

He put his head beside my head, on my shoulder and I could feel his cool breath on my neck. He moved forward a little, his lips touching my collarbone in the process. I stiffened. I could feel his lips curling up to a smirk, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

"Forgive me, Amu. I can't stand when you're angry at me, it drives me insane knowing that I did something wrong," he murmured. "I want to see a smile on that beautiful face of yours again."

I could've died right there and then. Ikuto called me beautiful. I always heard my friend's boyfriend's calling them beautiful and I was so envious of them. Not that Ikuto was my boyfriend, but he called me beautiful. It was the first time I had ever been complimented like that, and I would remember the day forever.

I was too much in my own thoughts and too surprised to reply, and Ikuto took that as my way of saying no. He sighed and let go of me and began to walk away. I chased after him.

"Ikuto, wait!" He stopped and turned around, his face straight.

"It's okay, okay. I didn't say it was because I was too surprised to reply after you called me beautiful. I have never been called beautiful in my life, and I didn't know how to reply so I didn't reply at all," I blurted out, unaware of what I was actually meant to say. At first, he didn't do anything. Then he had that stupid, addicting smirk on his face and he slowly made his way to me. For a second, he looked like a complete model and he was strutting, but I shook the thought out of my head.

Ikuto pulled me into his chest, so close that I could feel his heart beating. He was so warm, and his chest felt so well toned. I blushed at the thought of him topless.

"You're beautiful, beautiful. You're _so _beautiful, Amu. Amu is beautiful," he said softly into my hair. The corners of my lips began to curve upwards, and I couldn't stop. It felt like my jaw was going to fall off with the way my smile wouldn't stop growing.

He didn't let go of me and I didn't know how long we had been standing there like that, but I have to admit, I enjoyed every second of it.

Ikuto made me feel like I meant something to someone.

Ikuto made me feel loved.

**More Amuto fluffiness!**

**This chapter is about as short as the first chapter, and it's terrible, I know. I honestly had no idea what to write, I had been stuck on the same paragraph for days. **

**I'm really sorry about how horrible this chapter is!**

**Tell me what you think, thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary: So what happens when Ikuto saves a suicidal girl named Amu, who threw herself off the balcony, on the floor above his apartment? He becomes completely motivated to show her what it really means to live, that's what. AMUTO.**

**I JUST WANT TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO MY REVIEWERS. I really, really appreciate the support and you guys made me tear up because of your reviews. Even though I thought it was a really terrible chapter and there was a long wait, you guys still loved it. To my reviewers and the people who at least like this story, I love you. Enjoy the fifth chapter, read and review!**

**Question: Do you think I should write more chapter's in Amu's P.O.V or Ikuto's P.O.V?  
>Ps. A friend recommended I write in both P.O.V's in the same chapter, so if you like it this way, please tell me!<br>PPs. The bold italics are the replies to the mind speaking thing thought subconscious thing. **

**The Art Of Living – Chapter Five (Amu's P.O.V)**

Some people began to stop and stare at the way me and Ikuto were hugging, the girls giggling and the boys whistling. I sent them all a death glare, which made them back away. I heard some of them saying things along the line of; _"they're so cute," "that guy is hot as," "why does she have scars on her wrists?" "Damn, that boy is getting in there!" "Mommy, are they married?"_

Ikuto didn't seem to be affected by the comments; they only made him touchier. His hands made their way to my hips, and then to my ass, where they had fun groping it. I fought back the heat rushing to my face and spun around, giving Ikuto an especially deathly glare. He only pouted, almost making me squeal at how cute he was. I cleared my throat and shooed away the subconscious side of me that came up with the absurd thought.

"Stop being a perverted rapist," I whisper-yelled at him, if that works. He put a hand on the fabric over his heart, as to say that he was hurt. I rolled my eyes at his mockery.

"That hurt my feelings Amu, I'm not a rapist nor am I perverted. I'm just a teenager with a lot of hormones," he explained slowly, trying to hide his damned smirk. "It's not like I can control them."

"Well, you have to. You can't just go around groping peoples' asses."

"Only yours, _Amu_," he whispered seductively. This time, I couldn't stop the blush. Screw him and his sexiness, stupid sexy- I did not just think that. What the hell is wrong with me? Don't fall for the mind tricks Amu!

**(Ikuto's P.O.V)**

Amu seemed to be having a mental debate with herself and she looked so frustrated to the point where she looked cute. I decided to interrupt; who knows how long she'd be standing there arguing in her mind if I didn't?

"Ammmmuuuuu," I whined. She blinked a few times, snapping out of whatever she was in. Her cheeks were still pink from what I said before and I thought it was adorable in every way.

"So, about what I said before," I started. "How about it?" I let a smirk come onto my face and watched her turn into a tomato, to my entertainment. She looked a mile beyond adorable and I wished there was a word that could describe it. She looked so… _yum_. Hell, she looked delicious with her curves and her bright pink hair and her beautiful face and-

_Get a hold of yourself Ikuto! You're losing your mind over what she looks like, with clothes! Think about what a maniac you'd be if she was topless, you'd terrify her! _

_**If she was topless, wouldn't that mean she'd be okay with how I was? **_

… _Touché. _

I was still thinking to myself when Amu was ranting about how much of a pervert I was, not that I was listening to the first half or anything. I caught the last words of her rant, and I supposed that was what it was about. I had completely zoned out while she was talking to me. I had done an Amu right there.

_Heh, done an Amu. More like, done Amu. _

_**Very nice inner Ikuto, high five. **_

_Up top brother!_

"Ikuto, are you even listening to a word I'm saying?" She yelled, giving me a light shove on the chest. I stumbled back a step and caught her wrists to balance myself.

"Hey now," I cautioned, "don't want to hurt the injured." Amu looked confused.

"You're not injured!"

"Don't you remember? You hurt my heart when you called me a 'perverted rapist'," I sneered, emphasizing what she called me. She smiled smugly and was proud of her little nickname for me. I felt like we were reliving when I first got into the elevator not too long ago. Something clicked in my head and I suddenly remembered the promise I made to her.

"Hey," I said, dragging out the word.

"Hi."

"Let's go sit down and talk about stuff. My legs are getting tired."

"Stuff? What stuff?"

"Y'know, just stuff."

"If it's perverted stuff, I'm staying right here." I gave an over exaggerated sigh.

"You take the fun out of everything."

She stuck her tongue out at me as I led her to the seats in the nearby park. I sat down, and she sat down all the way on the other side of the bench. Like I was infected with an infectious disease or something. I gave her a look that said, seriously? She sent back a puzzled look. I patted my lap, gesturing for her to sit on it. She still didn't get it, and cocked her head to a side to prove she didn't. I slapped my forehead.

"Sit here."

"Sit where?"

"Right here."

"You're sitting there."

"I mean here."

"But that's your lap."

"Exactly."

"No perverted stuff, Ikuto."

"Of course not. Just come closer so I don't have to shout our whole conversation."

She groaned and scooted closer an inch. I gave her the look. She groaned louder and moved closer so that there was only about ten centimeters between us. She turned to me, turning her creamy legs towards me too. Why did she have to be so irresistible for?

"So Amu," I began.

"Yes?"

"Why are you so sexy?"

"W-what?" She sputtered, choking on her tongue.

"Nothing. What have you always wanted to do, but never got the chance to?"

"U-um…" She pondered, flustered about what I asked earlier. She put a finger on her chin and thought about it. Her face fell for a moment, and then she shook her head and put on her thinking face again.

"I saw that."

"S-saw what?"

"Your face when you frowned. Bad memory?"

She sighed and shook her head with a small smile.

"It was just something from a while ago. I-I always to go to the amusement parks and play there as a kid, but couldn't because of Ami's – my little sister – sickness. She was too ill to go out, and that's why they couldn't take me. Because they were taking care of her, so that's why I never really had a… childhood, you could say," she explained, scratching the back of her head. I thought about it, and then looked around. In the distance behind the trees of the park, I could see a Ferris wheel. A light bulb seemed to flick on in my head. I smiled, and stood up. Amu watched me as I held out a hand.

"Let's go," I urged, pushing my hand closer to her. She hesitantly took it, slowly standing up.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

**(Amu's P.O.V)**

"Ikuto, we've been walking for ages, my legs are tired and I really don't understand."

"What do you mean?"

"You said, 'you'll see'. And I can't see a bloody thing."

"Why not?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe because you put a blindfold over my eyes?"

"You'll see after I take it off," he sung. I groaned and let my free hand – the one that Ikuto wasn't grasping to death – feel around for anything that would block my path of walking, just in case I walked into a pole Ikuto didn't warn me about. I didn't trust him without one of my senses, and he was most likely the type to let me crash into a pole and secretly laugh about it later. I highly doubted he would tell me that there would be a-

"Pole."

I quickly backed up and had both hands out, feeling around, only to grapple at the air. Ikuto snickered somewhere to my left and despite the blindfold; I could feel the stares of people burning into my back as I attempted to look for the 'pole'. The anger bubbled up in me like a volcano that was ready to erupt. I ripped off the piece of fabric and was ready to go off my head at Ikuto when everything suddenly died down.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

There were little kids and adults walking in and out, pushing past me. The children were squealing with excitement and some parents were excited too, some bored. I could hear the screams and I could practically feel the fun radiating from inside. I could feel the inner, childish me dying to break out.

Ikuto had brought me to the amusement park and I was on the verge of jumping on him and hugging him to death. I looked at him, and he nodded. I kissed him on the cheek and ran in.

**(Ikuto's P.O.V)**

She kissed me.

Amu kissed me.

Amu just effing kissed me.

_You sound like you're an eleven year old who just got kissed by their crush._

_**But Amu just kissed me! She so wants me! And I so want her!**_

_Ikuto, you're losing it. Keep your grip on reality, man!_

_**Amu kisssseeeeddd meeeeee. **_

_Oh lord._

I followed Amu inside, trying to contain my happiness. My inner Ikuto was right; I was acting like a little school boy. But I couldn't help it; Amu was temptingly sexy and beautiful and amazing. I remembered the last time a girl – that was not nearly as gorgeous as Amu – kissed me, who was my ex-girlfriend; she slapped me afterwards and broke up with me. That was the last time I decided to get into a relationship with the queen bee of high school.

Amu was glowing with how happy she was as she ran around to all the rides, laughing and telling me to come along. When I didn't come after her quick enough, she would grab my hand and pull me along. And I loved every second of it.

The first ride she took us on was the rollercoaster that went all around the amusement park. She was screaming, clinging onto my arm so tightly that I thought I would've lost all blood circulation.

Then, she literally, by force, dragged me to the spinning tea cups. I protested and said that it was for clearly for children under five, but she ignored me and pushed me into the blue and pink teacup. She was laughing her head off when I was all cramped up because I was too tall and even had tears seeping out of her eyes. I didn't say anything and watched her attract the little kids' attention, wondering why I was even with her.

She let me choose the last ride but I knew she was dying to go on the Ferris wheel. So, I took her there and we got into the wobbly seat that promised something along the lines of death if we shook too much. The wheel turned and we went higher, and higher. Amu was leaning over the bar and I thought she would've fallen off. She pulled at my sleeve and pointed out to the setting sun. I hadn't noticed the time fly at all.

"Look Ikuto, the sun is going down."

"Mm, I see."

"It's so red and beautiful."

"Like you, when you blush," I teased.

Like I expected, she went bright red and slapped me on the arm. I laughed and held her wrists away from me so she couldn't hit me anymore. She pulled her wrists back, and left them at her sides. She looked up at me with an intense gaze, completely different from the first time we encountered, when she seemed to be shooting daggers from her eyes.

"Ikuto," she said, breaking the silent stare-off.

"Yes, Amu?"

"Do you really think I'm… beautiful?" She asked quietly, her golden eyes gleaming. I watched as the sun began to disappear under the horizon.

"I think you're beyond that," I admitted. In my peripheral vision, I could see her cheeks turn pink. She followed my stare and smiled. I felt the corners of my mouth twitching upwards, and heard my heart thudding in my ears. There was another short period of silence, and then I felt her placing her hand over mine softly. I slowly entwined our fingers and in those last moments on the Ferris wheel with her, it felt like nothing else mattered.

It was just me and Amu, together.

**I can't stop ending my chapters with Amuto fluffiness, despite what I said about the cliffy endings. Longest chapter so far, woo! **

**Tell me if you like the switching of P.O.V's, if I should just stick to one P.O.V per chapter, and what you thought of it! **

**Thank you for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary: So what happens when Ikuto saves a suicidal girl named Amu, who threw herself off the balcony, on the floor above his apartment? He becomes completely motivated to show her what it really means to live, that's what. AMUTO.**

**What up sons (not trying to be gangster or anything)! So, majority of you guys said you liked the P.O.V switches so I might stick to that. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the fifth chapter and now here's the sixth! Enjoy, read and review! **

**Ps. I was thinking of how OOC Ikuto is; do you guys think so too?**

**The Art Of Living – Chapter Six (Ikuto's P.O.V)**

I sighed, adjusting the sleeping Amu on my back. She snored lightly and I smiled to myself. She was as light as a feather and I was scared to even let her drop for a second. I was scared she would shatter with the way she was so seemed so… fragile.

It was dark when I had finally made it back to our flat. Amu hadn't woken up and I was glad, but it left me with a question I needed her to solve. Was she going to sleep in her apartment… or mine? I tried to figure out the pros and cons of each while stepping up the stairs.

The pros of her sleeping back in her apartment: it would be _her _apartment, she wouldn't have to wake up in someone else's bed.

The cons of sleeping in her own apartment: her father would be there, her dad would probably beat her again, her dad would probably beat _me _for taking her out, and I don't have the keys to get in.

The cons of sleeping in my apartment: she would get angry at me for not taking her back to her own apartment, I would have no place to sleep, she would have no clothes to change into, and her dad would probably get angry.

The pros of sleeping in my apartment: I would be highly amused if she woke up screaming, I would get to see her adorable sleeping face again, she wouldn't get beaten, she'd be away from her dad, and I would get to take her out again easily.

I reasoned that there were more pros' of sleeping in my apartment over hers, and let go of one of her legs to get my keys. She stirred, burying her face into my back. I unlocked the door, kicked it shut after I got in and didn't bother to lock it again. I could do it after I put her down.

I carried her bridal style to the bedroom – feeling extremely like a newlywed – and slowly put her down on my bed. She looked uncomfortable, sleeping in her ripped baggy jeans and hoodie, but I didn't have any of her pajamas at hand. I looked around the room and saw a shirt of mine lying on the floor. I looked back at Amu. I looked at the shirt. I looked at Amu. I swallowed and tried to shut my perverted conscience up. If I changed her clothes, she would be more comfortable. If I changed her clothes, I would see her bare body. If I changed her clothes, she'd scream at me the next morning.

I grabbed the t-shirt and stuck to one of the thoughts; if I changed her clothes, she'd sleep comfortably. That was all that mattered. I wouldn't want her to wake up with a rash on her legs or anything. _No staring at her naked body, just get the job done, _I reminded myself. _No staring. _

I am a despicable man.

So, I changed her clothes and put the old ones in the wash. It may as well have been the toughest time of my life, undressing her and not staring. So I had the briefest glimpse and almost had a blood nose. For a girl who looked as flat as a washboard under her clothes, she had a body that made me go insane. I tried to burn the image from my mind. I didn't take her bra or panties off or anything, but she had the hips that could make a man bow before her.

_You're a shameful man Ikuto, _my mind tsked.

I turned around to leave like the shameful man I was, but something pulled on my shirt. I turned around to see Amu, who was still asleep, with a fistful of my shirt in her hand. She looked so much more comfortable in different clothes, and she looked like an angel while she slept, her hair pooling around her like a halo. I made an effort to pry her hand off, but she had a grip of steel, so I left her hand there.

She wouldn't mind, would she?

I turned the lights off and slipped under the covers beside her, seeing as she wouldn't let me leave. I pulled her closer towards me and kissed her forehead. I could vaguely make out that she was smiling in her sleep, and I smiled too. For the first time in so many years, I had a good sleep.

**(Amu's P.O.V)**

I woke up and the first thing I thought was; this wasn't my bed.

This was most definitely not my apartment.

This was most definitely not my bed.

This was most definitely not my t-shirt.

And this arm draped over me was most definitely _not mine. _

I slowly turned around in the mess of sheets and met Ikuto's sleeping face. The thought that he was sleeping beside me didn't come to me immediately, and so I spent those three minutes with a blank face and no idea what was happening. I bit my tongue to stop myself from screaming so I wouldn't wake Ikuto up. I looked at him again, and felt everything inside me calm down. He looked so peaceful while he slept, mouth slightly open, breathing evenly and guard down. I brushed a strand of his hair out of his face and let my fingers linger on his ear. He twitched in his sleep, moving closer to my hand. My heart was thudding in my ears. I had never been this close to a boy before.

I hesitantly and carefully grabbed his arm to get it off me so I could get up, but he grumbled and pulled me into his chest. I squeaked and put my hands in front of me, stopping myself from smashing into his chest. I felt my face go hot as my fingers traced the lines of his abs.

"You know, if you wanted to feel my abs, you could've just asked."

I froze. I slowly lifted my head to see Ikuto staring down at me, a handsome smirk on his face. I laughed nervously and tried to back away. He held me in place with his strong arms wrapped around me and lifted me higher so we were face to face. His sapphire blue eyes had a mischievous glint to them, and his smirk said no different.

"I-I…" I stammered, trying to think of an excuse. His smirk grew bigger.

"I take it you want to touch my abs again?" Before I had a chance to respond, he grabbed my hand and pressed it to his stomach. My face turned into a volcano and I was too shocked to do anything. He led my hand further down his body and stopped above his belt. He moved closer to my ear and I could feel his darned smirk just lightly brushing it.

"Further, _Amu?" _He whispered sexily. My heart was going to jump out of my bloody chest at any minute!

"I-I uh… I-I…"

"And that's it for today," he stated bluntly, jumping out of bed. I sat up and watched him go through his wardrobe, confused. He looked at me, and winked. I slowly got out of the bed too and crossed my arms.

"What do you mean, that's it for today?" I asked, irritated.

"Oh, does Amu-chan want more?" He winked again.

"I-I, no, I, hey wait! Why am I in this t-shirt?" I thought I saw him stiffen for a second, but he went back to his normal self so fast that he wouldn't have.

"Because it's on you?"

"No I mean, I was in jeans and a hoodie last night," I explained, trying to think back to how I had gotten in a single t-shirt. Ikuto nodded without looking at me.

"Did you change my clothes?"

He didn't say anything, but this time I was sure he stiffened. He shut the doors of the wardrobe, a new shirt and a pair of jeans in hand, and awkwardly walked into his bathroom in his room. That might as well have been a yes. The fact that Ikuto had seen me almost – maybe even fully – naked registered in my mind, and I screamed.

**(Ikuto's P.O.V)**

I felt terribly guilty for changing her clothes and felt stupid for not denying that I did – though I should've just said that she did it herself, but I doubt she'd accept such an excuse – but I found it absolutely hilarious that her scream was so ear-splitting. She had been fuming for the last few minutes, knocking both fists against the door. If she wasn't angry, she'd be wailing about losing her dignity and if she wasn't doing that, she was probably deep in thought, but I had no idea since I can't see through the door or anything. If only I could; her expression would've been _priceless_.

I snickered while singlehandedly pulling off my old t-shirt, shuddering when the cool air hit my bare chest. I went to grab the newer shirt hanging off the door, was barely a centimeter away from it and almost had a bloody heart attack when the door burst open in a way I would've never opened a door. The entire door fell over, also bringing in a surprised Amu who fell on top of it. Both hit the marble tiles with a loud thud and for a moment, no one did anything. No one breathed, no one moved.

Then, very, very slowly, Amu turned her head with a look that had all different emotions. Her eyebrows were knitted up and showed that she was still angry from before, her eyes showed that the unexpected fall frightened her and her 'o' shaped mouth showed that she didn't know what to do next. It was quite a cute expression but was demented in the weirdest ways. Then, her whole face turned apologetic as she scrambled off the door, a pale hand over her mouth. She tried to speak, and I could practically hear her heart banging against her chest from the shock. "I-Ikuto, I didn't mean to b-break the door…"

And that did it.

Laughter ripped through my body and I held my sides. I was shaking from laughing so much, and Amu looked confused as hell. I stumbled over to her while still holding my left side, and put a hand on her shoulder. She instantly shivered. It made me smirk that I had such an effect on her. I got back my breath, but looked at the door again and chuckled. She frowned.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh Amu," I sighed, pulling her to my abs. She exploded into a brilliant red and I could feel the warmth from her cheeks on me. She stepped back and her jaw dropped. I followed her gaze, finding that it led to my well-toned chest. She looked adorable, sort of resembling a fish (not that I think a fish is adorable), with her mouth opening and closing. Her face turned ten shades darker, and my smirk grew. This girl was truly, too amusing.

"Like what you see?" I said suggestively, licking my lips. Her eyes didn't leave my chest for a second as she tried to talk. It was like she had never seen a man's bare chest before; but then again, probably no one had seen one as sexy as mine. Then, she spun around and a disappointing feeling arose in me. I liked the attention from her and then she just went and turned around. Did she not like my abs? Perhaps she had seen sexier?

The thought turned me off greatly, but then my eyes _accidentally _– yeah right –fell upon her upper thighs – that was conveniently was showing due to the long t-shirt – which turned me on ten times more in return for the turn off. A bit of her white panties covered in a strawberry design showed too and I leaned on one leg to see more. Even though I was the one who had undressed her and saw everything already, it still made me go crazy.

She seemed to be saying sorry for breaking my door but I wasn't really paying attention. That ass of hers was worth staring at. Amu suddenly turned around and broke off my stare, so I lifted my eyes to hers. She sighed and looked off to her right, avoiding my chest. I thought about how awkward it would've been if someone walked in on us like that; me topless, her without pants. It gave the impression that we had been doing something maybe, naughty, and I had lent her my shirt for the time being.

I pulled her towards me and just stood there, hugging her petite body. She didn't pull away or anything. What surprised me was that she wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my chest. I held her tighter and subconsciously kissed her hair. I felt her smile on my chest, face getting warmer and warmer. It was moments like those, which I wished lasted forever.

Then the front door burst open, unlocked from the night before.

"Where the hell is my daughter?"

**CLIFFHANGER! Hahah, I hope you guys liked this chapter and hope that it made you needy for more :3  
>Tell me what you think of this one, thank you for reading!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary: So what happens when Ikuto saves a suicidal girl named Amu, who threw herself off the balcony, on the floor above his apartment? He becomes completely motivated to show her what it really means to live, that's what. AMUTO.**

**Hi again, everyone! Not sure what to say here, so let's proceed! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the sixth chapter; here's the seventh! Enjoy, read and review!**

**The Art Of Living – Chapter Seven (Amu's P.O.V)**

I felt fear surge through me and I clung onto Ikuto tighter. My heart was accelerating faster than I believed it could have, and not in the way that Ikuto made me feel. I had never felt this scared before, but the realization dawned on me. I wasn't scared that he was going to do something to me; I was scared he was going to do something to Ikuto.

Ikuto held me and whispered reassuring things into my ear. He told me that it was going to be okay, and I nodded, willing myself to believe that nothing would happen.

"I won't let him hurt you," he said through gritted teeth. _But what about you? _I thought. We entwined fingers when we heard my father knocking over everything, kicking open every door. He wasn't too far now. Ikuto lifted me into the bathtub and pulled the curtain closed. I wanted to protest, but the things I wanted to say died down when I heard my father's angry voice.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I happen to be the resident of this apartment, and I don't appreciate you wrecking my property. Please leave, before I call the police," Ikuto said calmly, but coldly.

"I know my daughter's here. Where the hell is she?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know your daughter, let alone you. So please leave, now."

"You think you're real smooth, pulling the I-don't-know-what-you're-on trick. I know you know exactly what I'm on about. I know you; you're the guy who saved my daughter when she went to kill herself. I remember your stupid blue hair."

"I think you should be going now. Leave."

"Not until I find my daughter, you bastard."

Then, there was the sound of a fist hitting a jaw – a sound I knew well from experience – and I suppressed a gasp. I silently hoped that Ikuto was the one who threw the punch and hoped it was strong enough to knock him out. The hope fell when I heard Ikuto groan in pain.

"Now, unless you want another one, I suggest you give me my daughter."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. Get out."

Another punch was thrown and through the curtain, I could see the figures of two people struggling. The skinnier figure was getting kneed in the gut, and then the bigger person was suddenly thrown to the opposite wall. I didn't know if I should've got between them and stopped them or just stayed still like Ikuto told me to. I squeezed my eyes shut and mentally cheered Ikuto on. _Everything is going to be okay, everything is going to be okay, _I told myself.

Suddenly, there was no grunts, no groans, no struggling; nothing at all. There was the sound of someone panting, and I could only see one person standing. A hand grabbed the curtain. _Ikuto! _The curtain was pulled open and looked forward, and from my squatting position in the tub, I saw Ikuto. He was unconscious on the ground, purple bruises forming around his face. I gasped and couldn't look away.

I jumped out of the tub and wanted to help him, but the hand of my father grabbed my wrist and slammed me against the wall. I gave a cry of pain and tore my gaze away from Ikuto, meeting the dark, evil eyes that I had feared so badly. He gave a sinister grin, and punched me hard enough to fall unconscious. The last thought I had was of Ikuto's smile, and then nothing.

**(Ikuto's P.O.V)**

I woke with a jolt, alone in my own bathroom. My head was throbbing, and everything was blurry. Where was Amu? I grabbed the sink to get up and put a hand to my head. The events of before hit me like a truck; the bastard must've taken Amu after he knocked me out cold. How long had I been out? Had he gotten far yet? I threw on any shirt, rushed out onto the streets, and looked for anything that could've led me to them.

On the other side of the street, I saw a bunch of men getting into a white van and some struggling at the door. Then, I saw a brief flash of pink hair before it disappeared into the van.

"Hey, stop! Let her go!" I yelled, but it was no use. The van started speeding off, and I gave chase. I mentally took note of the car number plate and got into the taxi that had just pulled over.

_I'll save you, Amu. _

**(Amu's P.O.V)**

I didn't know where I was.

It was dark and the air was humidly stuffy. I was still wearing Ikuto's t-shirt, and it clung to my sweaty body. Still dressed as I was in his bathroom – t-shirt and underwear –, I was somewhere completely different. I tried to move, but my arms were chained to the chair I was sitting on and my ankles were chained together too. I was covered in bruises and cuts, beaten and bloody. Everywhere hurt and even if I tried to shrug my shoulders, it would send pain through my body.

The room I was in seemed to be empty, except for me right in the middle. There was a door to my right, and what seemed to be a light bulb above me. I grunted and tried to move out of the chair again, but it was useless.

I needed water. My throat was on fire and my lips were dry and cracked. I swallowed, but what was remaining of my saliva only made it worse. It was like acid, slowly making its way down my throat. I coughed. With a raspy voice, I tried to scream for help.

"Is there anyone there? Help, please! Someone!"

But there was no one there. No one replied, no one came to my rescue. The darkness and silence taunted me, showing me how alone I really was. I whimpered, feeling helplessly small. Images of Ikuto began to fill my mind and my stomach twisted. Would he come to save me?

"Ikuto!" I cried, foolishly thinking that he would suddenly just break into this damn room like some sort of strong knight in shining armor and take me away. _This isn't a fairy tale, idiot, _my mind chided, but I secretly hoped it would come true.

Then the door swung open and hit the wall with a bang. It wasn't Ikuto, but my father and to my surprise, several men standing behind him, all with smug smirks on their faces. In his hand, he held a glass of water and my mind was screaming for it. I kept my composure, and sat still. He couldn't make me break so easily. I could live without it. He then, put it to his lips and I watched as his the lump in his throat bobbed up and down as he drank. I gulped and averted my gaze to the men behind him. They were much older than he was, dressed in fancy, rich suits. Some thin and cadaverous, some I may have believed obese. They eyed me up and down and I subconsciously tried to curl up. My father cleared his throat.

"Are you thirsty, darling daughter of mine?" He taunted. I growled, and the group laughed. He took another drink and poured some onto the floor. I was dying for just a drop, and here he was wasting precious water.

"All you have to say is please, Amu."

My mouth reacted on its own and I couldn't hold back anymore. I needed that damn water, and I needed it now. "Please," I choked out. The men roared with laughter and I bit back my insults. If I didn't do what they said, I would die and never see Ikuto again. I had to make it out of here alive. I suddenly heard the sound of belts unbuckling, and I widened my eyes when they began coming closer with lust filled eyes. _Sh*t. _

**(Ikuto's P.O.V)**

I paid the taxi driver and eyed the suspicious, abandoned house. I didn't even know if it could be considered a house; it was made of solid concrete, was one storey with no windows and not even a door. There was just an opening in the shape of a door. _Don't waste anymore time, _said my mind. I took a deep breath, and cautiously peered inside. The one room was completely and utterly empty.

Amu had to be here, so why was the room empty? I had followed the van via taxi, and they had gone into the abandoned house. Sure, the van was empty when I got there, but where else could they have gone?

I was about to turn and leave, when I suddenly heard a muffled scream below me. I looked down and only saw the hard, concrete floor. I shrugged, thinking that it was just me. But the uneasy feeling inside me didn't go away. I had heard that scream, that scream of denial and resistance.

Then I heard it again.

And the second time I was positively, a hundred percent sure that it was her.

I dropped to my knees and put my ear to the floor, listening for an idea of where the hell she could've been. There were a few more screams from under, and I lifted my head to check the ground. Sure enough, there was a dented lining in the concrete where I was kneeling. It was thin, but there was just enough space to put my fingers into. I moved so I could lift it up, and when I did, it revealed steel stairs going down.

Without hesitation, I quickly ran down the stairs and met a long hallway, doors on each side. I followed the screams, went to where they were loudest. All I could think about was Amu. Those screams of hers cut into me like a blade and I would make them pay for whatever they were doing to her.

I was led to the end of the hallway, to the door at the very end. She was screaming nonsense that I couldn't make out; something vaguely along the lines of 'don't touch me'. I kicked the door open and my eyes soaked up the scene in front of me.

To my left, the man I recognized to be Amu's father and four other men stood. Amu was tied up in a chair in the far corner of the room, three or four men standing above her. They were grabbing at her shirt, and she was using her head to fight them off. Her eyes were wide with fear and surprise, and theirs were filled with lust and irritation. Somewhere inside me, a volcano of anger erupted, and I was bloody _pissed off_.

"Let her go," I growled, clenching my fists. The men around Amu left her and turned around, smug smirks on their faces.

"Not until I've had my fun, so go piss off somewhere and let adults have their fun, little boy," a man who looked like he was close to death said. I took a step forward, and spoke through gritted teeth.

"I said, let. Her. Go."

"What're you gonna do about it, Mr. Hero?" Another scoffed. I gave my signature smirk, and showed them exactly what they asked for.

**(Amu's P.O.V)**

I watched as Ikuto charged at the creeps around me, knocking them out with a single punch or kick. I secretly rooted for him in my mind, and thought to keep quiet while he beat the living daylights out of all the men. I squeaked when I noticed my father behind him who was coming at him and tried to notify Ikuto. I saw the knife and tried to sputter out my words.

"Ikuto, behind you!"

And just when Ikuto turned around, he slammed the knife into his stomach. I watched with wide eyes, unable to do anything. He had a sick, psychotic grin plastered on his face as I heard Ikuto gasp inaudibly. I saw drops of dark, red blood fall to the floor and saw his body slightly going limp, but he didn't go down so easily. He grabbed onto my father's arm, his free hand pulling the knife out of himself. I winced when I heard him gasp again, feeling his pain for him.

"This one's for Amu, you bastard," Ikuto snarled, before stabbing the knife into where my father had done to him. I felt a pang of emotion – I don't know what it was – when he looked into my eyes one last time, mouth open and blood pouring out of him. Perhaps, it was the sight of seeing my own father dying.

Ikuto tried to stand, limping over to me with a hand on his bleeding stomach. It was beginning to soak his clothes, and I felt beyond awful for letting it happen to him. With one hand, he loosened the chains around me and I fell into his arms, crying. His blood was beginning to soak into my clothes as well, when I touched him. He held me tighter with his comforting arms.

"I-Ikuto, I'm so sorry for getting you into this!" I cried. "This is all my fault, I'm sorry!"

"It's not your fault, so stop saying sorry," he sighed into my hair. I pushed myself away from him and held his shoulders, looking into his weary blue eyes.

"No, Ikuto, it _is _my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here right now, bleeding and in pain! We need to get you to a hospital Ikuto, you've got a severe wound and it needs to be attended –"

"Amu."

" – to by a professional nurse! Don't worry Ikuto, you'll be fine before you know it. Here, I'll –"

"Amu!"

" – even help you up, you can put one of your arms around my shoulder and I'll kind of carry you there and –"

And then he shut me up by putting his lips to my forehead. I was embarrassed by the fact that I was rambling, and that Ikuto had to shut me up by doing what would instantly make me stop. The kiss was only a brush of lips against forehead, and was clearly exhausted. Closing his eyes, he placed his lips to my right temple.

"I'll be okay, Amu. I don't need to go to the hospital, I don't need a professional nurse to attend to me, I don't need anything or anyone. All I need is you," he murmured.

"You're cheesy as, you know that?" I muttered, a blush adorning my cheeks. His lips curved into a smirk against my temple as he kissed it again.

"Well then; would you eat me on a pizza?"

"That was by far, hands down, the corniest line out!" I laughed and pushed him away teasingly. He chuckled and pulled me in closer, kissing my forehead once more.

And with that, everything was okay.

**The "would you eat me on a pizza?" line was from a conversation I had with a guy who had a crush on me, and I thought it was hilariously cute. If you don't get it, it's like; pizzas' are cheesy, so yeah. **

**Tell me what you think of it, you guys!  
>Thank you for reading!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary: So what happens when Ikuto saves a suicidal girl named Amu, who threw herself off the balcony, on the floor above his apartment? He becomes completely motivated to show her what it really means to live, that's what. AMUTO.**

**Hello there readers! The story isn't ending just yet, so you guys can calm down and enjoy this chapter. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the seventh chapter and now here is the eighth; enjoy, read and review! **

**The Art Of Living – Chapter Eight (Amu's P.O.V)**

Ikuto winced as I wrapped a bandage around his stomach, and I gave him an apologetic look. I currently wasn't doing very well at being a nurse to help, and make Ikuto feel better. I had carried Ikuto back to his place, like how I suggested. It had been a long night, and the events of the day had been burned into my memory. Though, I felt relieved. After all those years, my father had got what was coming to him.

I clipped the bandage together and sat beside Ikuto on the couch. He put on the new t-shirt, and casually put his arm around my shoulders. I snuggled in closer to his warmth, and he twirled a strand of my hair around his long fingers.

"So Amu, how's life going for you so far?" Ikuto asked, and I knew he was expecting an answer worth hearing. After all, he had been the one to save me and vow that he'd make me have the time of my life.

"So far so good," I giggled. He pinched my stomach when he knew I was teasing him and I laughed, backing away. He was sticking his tongue out at me childishly and I did the same to him. He chuckled, pulling me back in. I sighed happily. This might as well have been perfection itself.

"What do you wish for, Amu?" He questioned out of the blue. I pondered the question; what did I really wish for?

"Now that I think about it, I'm not actually sure what I wish for."

"You don't want to know, or want anything?"

"Hmm… Sometimes, I wonder how Ami is now. Like, I hope she's well and hope she has a good, happy life. I only wish that I could see her now; how she is and what she looks like," I explained, hoping that I made sense. Ikuto nodded, clarifying that I did.

"And also, I wish you weren't such a pervert," I teased. He put on a face of mock hurt and I grinned.

"You know I'm only joking," I said, lightly patting his chest. He pouted cutely, and then yawned. The yawn was contagious and made me yawn too, making me realize how sleepy I was. I put my head on his shoulder, and he put his on my head. I heard his breathing even out, and I closed my eyes, letting sleep take over me. I was certain of it; this was definitely perfection.

The next morning, I woke up alone on the couch with a blanket over me. There was a yellow sticky note on my forehead and I pulled it off to examine it.

"Dear lazy ass," I read aloud, taking note of how nicely written it was.

"Seeing as you're reading this, you've probably noticed that I'm not around. Don't miss me too much; I'll only be out for a little while. I'll be back before you know it. With love, the sexiest person you ever met and know, Ikuto."

I snorted at the last part and scrunched up the small paper, discarding it somewhere on the floor. I made sexual noises as I stretched on the couch and thought about what Ikuto would do if he heard them. I shook the thought away. _Don't miss me too much; _means don't miss him at all when he's being that cocky in my view.

I threw the blanket off me and looked down at what I was wearing. I had changed into another one of Ikuto's shirts and wore a pair of his boxers that hung loosely around my hips. I rubbed my chin with my pointer finger, looking towards the door. I was deciding if I should go back to my own apartment, and get my own clothes. Would Ikuto suddenly come back and think that I was kidnapped again or something? I thought about it. _Nah. _

So I crept outside and into the elevator secretly and stealthily like Ikuto was watching me somewhere. When I got out and reached my own door, I hesitated at the doorknob. I didn't know why I did. I mean, he was already gone; Ikuto had taken care of him already. There was nothing to be scared of.

I confidently nodded to myself and turned the doorknob a little harder than I should have. Everything was gone; the TV, the fridge, the couch; just everything in general. Taken and sold off by him, I suppose.

I worked up the courage to keep going, assuring myself that no one was going to suddenly come in and hit me. None of that would ever happen anymore.

Times of when he had hit me in a certain place of the apartment flashed before my eyes as I kept walking through, making me stagger backwards a step every time. I shook my head. This was affecting me way too much, even when it was all over. I quickly made my way to my bedroom, the only room that still looked the same. The walls were stained with dry blood, from my old habits of painting with my own blood. I shuddered at the memories, of how idiotic the idea was.

I pulled open my wardrobe and grabbed a handful of clothes, then proceeded to the drawers below. I grabbed my old black school bag that was lying by my bed and shoved the clothes inside. I looked around the room one last time. There was a nauseating feeling inside my stomach, and I pushed it away.

"Don't ever come back here, Amu. Don't ever go back into that stage of your life again, don't ever hurt yourself, and don't ever relive these memories. Don't ever be as stupid as you were before," I whispered, vowing to myself. I turned to the door, and left not only the apartment, but all the memories and hard times.

Sighing with the bag in hand, I pressed the button of the elevator and waited for a minute. Then, the doors opened and I stepped in. I pressed the 'two' button, and again, waited. And again, the doors opened after not too long, but this time I met Ikuto's worried expression. His eyes went wide with surprise as he saw me, and he hugged me so tightly I couldn't breathe.

"I-Ikuto, I need to breathe!" He released me from his hold and looked at me with eyes full of relief. The thought that Ikuto was relieved that I was safe made me all warm and fuzzy inside. It was somewhat comforting knowing that someone cared that I was okay, cared about me.

"You don't know how worried I was; I thought someone had kidnapped you again!"

Oops. I guess he _did _suddenly come back and think I was kidnapped. I laughed nervously.

"Sorry about that."

"It's alright – hey! Here, let me help you put this on," Ikuto said as he went behind me, and everything went black. It was the feeling of cloth over my eyes, knowing that from previous experience when he surprised me by taking me to the amusement park. I was still uncomfortable with the process of losing one of my senses, and I wondered what Ikuto had in mind now.

He tied it at the back, quite tightly at that. I tried to loosen it a bit, tugging at the sides. I heard the elevator doors close, and then the sound of a button being pressed.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked him, curious.

"You'll see."

"I don't see anything."

"Well then smartass, you'll find out soon. Patience is a virtue, young one," he snickered. I rolled my eyes under the fabric. There was a 'ding', and Ikuto took me by the hand and led me out. I let my other hand be my safety reassurance, and let it feel around for things I might've crashed into.

We came to a stop, and then there was the jingling of keys. Then a _click, _and then a door opening. Again, Ikuto led me to our destination and I stood awkwardly as his hand left mine, leaving me to stand by myself. I tried to be patient, and twiddled my thumbs as I waited.

I heard footsteps, and I supposed Ikuto was back from wherever he went. He held my hand again, the warmth from his transferring into mine. Though, he didn't lead me anywhere that time. He just held my hand.

"Amu, what did you wish for again?" He asked, though his tone of voice made it obvious that he already knew what the answer was. I thought about it, trying to recall what I said the day before.

"I wished that I could see Ami again, and see how she is now, or something along those lines I think."

"So, how does she look now?"

"Huh?"

Then Ikuto slowly took the piece of fabric off my eyes and I adjusted to the light, and the room I was in, and the figure standing in front of me.

It wasn't Ikuto. It wasn't anyone I had expected at all.

Everything came to a stop inside me, and I even held my breath, as I took in who was standing in front of me. The person was not that much shorter than me, had shoulder-length light brown curls, and a fair complexion. They were wearing a light pink dress that stopped at their knees, with frills and ruffles everywhere. My eyes travelled up to their face. They had a bit of baby fat on their cheeks and round, innocent, almost golden brown eyes.

Like mine.

"A-A…" I tried to say. All of this must've been a sweet dream; there was no way she was standing right in front of me. It was a miracle I even recognized her, after not seeing her for three years. Not long, but she had been young then and she barely looked different now, except for the fact she was taller and older. I subconsciously pinched my own arm to wake myself up, but I didn't.

"A-Ami," I finally choked out, trying to swallow the lump in my throat at the same time.

"Onee-chan," she said, smiling. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and I lifted a hand to my mouth.

She wrapped her arms around me, and tears began to streak down my face as I returned the embrace. It had been so long since I had held her, my baby sister, in my arms, and all the memories as a child with her came back to me as I wept on her shoulder.

There was a feeling that I didn't recognize growing inside me. The feeling was a mixture of shock, happiness, a twinge of sadness, and some other indescribable feeling, but most of all, the feeling felt as though…

As though I was truly home again.

"You're not supposed to be crying, you're supposed to be brave and strong!" Ami ordered, wiping the tears off my face. I smiled, nodding.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just haven't seen you in so long…" I whispered.

"You were the one who left me outside someone's house remember?" She joked, lightly punching my arm.

"Oh that's right! Speaking of leaving you outside someone's house, who took you in?"

"This super sweet married couple that wanted a kid, but never had one, so they were pretty happy when they found me on their doorstep. They immediately took me to the doctors and I was cured in just a week! Oh, it's wonderful living with them – did I mention that they were rich?"

I laughed. The hours passed by as me and Ami talked about how her life was, and the exciting things of her life. We didn't even realize how fast the time was flying. I noticed Ikuto sitting on the couch, just smiling at the way we chatted on and on. He seemed amused by our sisterly chatting, and I thought I saw admiration in his eyes as he watched too. It made me wonder; did Ikuto have any siblings?

Eventually, Ami got sleepy and she fell asleep, head on my lap when I sat beside Ikuto. Her legs were curled up, leaving space for Ikuto to sit. I stroked her cheek with my thumb, smiling down at her. She drooled a bit on my thigh, a little gross, but nonetheless, I didn't mind.

I looked at Ikuto, and he was already staring at me, with glazed over eyes. He quickly looked around the room, like it wasn't obvious at all. I giggled at his failing attempted.

"Hey Ikuto," I began.

"Hn?"

"Why did you suddenly bring me to Ami?"

He turned back to me with his thinking face. "Well, when a person's wishes are fulfilled, they're happy right? Being happy is one of the many ways of truly living, so that's why I asked you what your wish was. I thought that if I fulfilled yours, you'd be happy. And I guess it worked," he said, gesturing to the way I was stroking Ami's cheek.

"Oh, I see. So, how did you get in contact with her?"

"Now that's a secret," he winked teasingly. I smiled, and reached over to hold his hand. His eyes flicked from my face to my hand, back and forth several times before settling for my eyes. I could've sworn I saw a little tint of pink on his cheeks, but I didn't want to say anything that would ruin his manly pride.

"Thank you for doing this Ikuto, thank you for everything. Thank you_ so_ much."

I could hear my heart thudding, or well, pounding against my chest in my ears. I slowly leaned over, looking into his eyes before just very lightly pressing my lips onto his cheek. I let my lips linger there, just for the briefest moment. When I pulled away, the tint of pink on Ikuto's cheeks went darker, and I felt my own cheeks burning up as well.

Ikuto looked away, but I could still see that he was trying to hide his grin that went from ear to ear. I thought it was completely adorable, and it made me smile at the way he tried to hide it. I looked away and down at Ami, who seemingly looked more comfortable in her sleep, as if she had just seen me kiss Ikuto on the cheek, and was happy with it. It was like she was approving of me and him together, even though we weren't, and I lightly snorted at the thought.

If it weren't for Ikuto, I wouldn't have been where I was. I wouldn't have been sitting with ease on his couch, I wouldn't have seen my sister again, and I wouldn't even be alive, because he was the one who saved me. If he weren't there at that time, I would've been dead on the sidewalk below my apartment, and then in the morgue already. At first I was finally saving myself from misery, and my pathetic life. Then Ikuto reached out, caught me, saved me and changed me. I was thankful for that.

I was thankful for Ikuto.

**And that concludes chapter eight! I hope you guys liked it, tell me what you think!  
>Thank you for reading!<strong>


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